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Ireland’s Environment 2012
10
This construction collapse has led to
the abandonment of housing estates
at various levels of completion
around the country. A survey carried
out by the DECLG in 2010 found
that there were 2,800 ‘ghost estates’
in the country, comprising a total of
23,000 completed but unoccupied
houses and apartments. There
were a further 20,000 dwellings at
various stages of construction. Apart
from the unsightly nature of these
estates they also pose potential
environmental risks, as a result of
inadequate or incomplete waste
water treatment systems.
Transport Patterns
The transport sector is a significant
source of GHGs and emissions to
air (e.g. NO
X
) in the State. Ireland
remains heavily reliant on the
car for its transport needs, with
approximately three-quarters of all
journeys made by private car (CSO,
2011b). The increase in population
around the major cities has resulted
in increased traffic flows, and
congestion and long-distance
commuting have become a feature
of Irish life.
Car ownership in Ireland has
changed significantly in the past
decade, with the proportion of
households with multiple vehicles
increasing substantially up to 2008.
There was also a continuing trend
to purchase new cars with larger
engine sizes over this time period.
In 2009 the number of new cars
licensed declined significantly, in line
with the economic downturn. Since
the introduction of a new system
of Vehicle Registration Tax in mid
2008, car purchasing patterns have
shifted significantly towards lower-
emissions vehicles and those with
Table 1.2
Number of Households and Average Household Size, 2001–2010 (Source: CSO)
Year
Total
Households
(000’s)
1 person
household
(000’s)
2 person
household
(000’s)
3 or more
person
household
(000’s)
Average
household
size
(Persons)
2001
1,304.7
284.7
331.1
689.0
2.95
2002
1,348.1
298.0
345.9
704.1
2.91
2003
1,385.3
308.4
371.1
705.9
2.88
2004
1,409.3
297.6
386.4
725.2
2.88
2005
1,461.4
318.4
400.2
742.8
2.83
2006
1,492.6
325.8
411.6
755.2
2.84
2007
1,532.1
325.7
427.3
779.1
2.84
2008
1,581.9
334.6
462.0
785.2
2.80
2009
1,627.2
352.5
494.1
780.6
2.74
2010
1,647.9
376.5
493.4
778.1
2.71
Figure 1.3
House Completions in Ireland 1991–2011 (Source: DECLG)
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
Number of House Completions
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011